Kola in the History of West Africa. - article ; n°77 ; vol.20, pg 97-134

Paul E.Lovejoy

Description

Cahiers d'études africaines - Année 1980 - Volume 20 - Numéro 77 - Pages 97-134
LOVEJOY La kola dans histoire de Afrique occidentale Le commerce de la kola spécialement espèce Cola nitida joué un rôle considé rable dans histoire économique de Afrique occidentale La zone principale de production se situe dans la bande forestière sur le territoire actuel du Ghana de la Côte Ivoire de la Sierra Leone du Libéria et de la Guinée La culture du kola tier est probable dès le xive siècle certaine au xixe associée la collecte dans les peuplements spontanés analyse linguistique diffusion de la racine *guro en situe origine dans la région frontalière actuelle Libéria/Guinée/Sierra Leone où son commerce était déjà développé lors de immigration mande xv xvie siècles) probablement depuis le xme siècle sinon plus tôt Les premiers cultivateurs étaient sans doute de langue ouest-atlantique ou mel ultérieurement xve siècle supplantés par des Mande venus de la savane La principale marchandise importée de la savane en retour paraît avoir été le fer ouvré Plus est en pays Akan le traûc de la kola aurait été associé celui de or partir des xiv xv siècles est la seule zone où pour des motifs liés écologie se développe un tat centralisé lié ce commerce La révolution économique du xixe siècle entraîne une augmentation massive du trane et de la production ooo entre 1910 et 1960 liée aux nouvelles facilités de transport maritime et terrestre
38 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

Sujets

• Sociologie, société et politique

Informations

• Publié par: CAHIERS_D-ETUDES_AFRICAINES
• Publié le: 01 janvier 1980
• Nombre de lectures: 19
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

Monsieur Paul E. Lovejoy
Kola in the History of West Africa.
In: Cahiers d'études africaines. Vol. 20 N°77-78. 1980. pp. 97-134.
Résumé
P. E. Lovejoy —La kola dans l'histoire de l'Afrique occidentale.
Le commerce de la kola, spécialement l'espèce Cola nitida, a joué un rôle considérable dans l'histoire économique de l'Afrique
occidentale. La zone principale de production se situe dans la bande forestière, sur le territoire actuel du Ghana, de la Côte
d'Ivoire, de la Sierra Leone, du Libéria et de la Guinée. La culture du kola-tier est probable dès le xive siècle, certaine au XIXe,
associée à la collecte dans les peuplements spontanés. L'analyse linguistique (diffusion de la racine *guro) en situe l'origine dans
la région frontalière actuelle Libéria/Guinée/Sierra Leone, où son commerce était déjà développé lors de l'immigration mande
(xve-xvie siècles), probablement depuis le xuie siècle, sinon plus tôt. Les premiers cultivateurs étaient sans doute de langue
ouest-atlantique ou mel, ultérieurement (xve siècle) supplantés par des Mande venus de la savane. La principale marchandise
importée de la savane en retour paraît avoir été le fer ouvré. Plus à l'est, en pays Akan, le trafic de la kola aurait été associé à
celui de l'or à partir des xive-xve siècles. C'est la seule zone où, pour des motifs liés à l'écologie, se développe un État centralisé
lié à ce commerce. La révolution économique du xixe siècle entraîne une augmentation massive du trafic et de la production (i
ooo % entre 1910 et i960) liée aux nouvelles facilités de transport maritime et terrestre.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Lovejoy Paul E. Kola in the History of West Africa. In: Cahiers d'études africaines. Vol. 20 N°77-78. 1980. pp. 97-134.
doi : 10.3406/cea.1980.2353
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/cea_0008-0055_1980_num_20_77_2353PAUL LOVEJOY
Kola in the History of West Africa*
Introduction
The kola nut particularly the variety Cola nitida has been major
commodity in West African trade for many centuries long before its
distinct taste provided the inspiration for numerous cola drinks Such
wondrous potions as kola-wine kola-cocoa and kola-chocolate were first
experimented with in Great Britain in the although Burroughs
Torced March Tabloid was the only preparation which
retained the original taste of the bitter nut.1 Later drinks including
Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola now the most popular bear little resemblance
in taste to the chestnut-size nut traditionally chewed in West Africa
Red white or of shades in between the nitida nuts were valued because
they cleansed the mouth provided spurt of energy and were credited
with numerous medicinal and other properties They were also mildly
addictive which was an important if unknown reason why thousands
of common folk chewed it at naming ceremonies weddings and other
occasions although it constituted luxury For the wealthy they were
necessary sign of their hospitality and affluence Other varieties of
kola less widely distributed and less prestigious had similar physiolog
ical effects.2
Grown only in the forest kola found ready market almost every
where in West Africa including the savanna and southern Sahara many
hundreds of kilometres north of its production zone Despite the great
care needed to preserve the nuts which are vulnerable to variety of
pests and must be kept moist kola was central to north-south exchange
between forest and savanna This article will concentrate on it although
one must keep in mind that other commodities especially gold salt
livestock slaves textiles leather goods and iron hoes were also impor-
wish to thank Philip Curtin Jean-Loup Amselle and Richard Roberts
for their comments
ROBINSON 1900 153 Also see CHEVALIER PERROT 1911 433-435
FREEMAN 1893 144 In early experiments kola was prepared with sugar and
vanilla to form kola chocolate It was used in the manufacture of cocoa
chocolate to improve the quality of inferior cocoa and also medicinally as source
of caffeine
For discussion of the uses of kola see LOVEJOY 1980 SUNDSTR 1966 135-
146 CHEVALIER PERROT 1911 448-462 RUSSELL 1955
Cahiers tudes africaines 77-78 XX-l-2 pp 97-2-5 PAUL LO VE OY 98
tant and that the commercial patterns here described also relate to
wide range of commodities Kola is isolated for analysis in order to
determine the origins of nitida production to establish the probable
routes of distribution in the savanna and to contribute to the construc
tion of chronological framework for further analysis of trade in West
Africa
Varieties of Kola
Kola is indigenous to the West African forest but is found as far east
as Gabon and the Congo river basin Of its more than forty varieties
four nitida acuminata verticillata and anomala which
are the most common of the edible species3 have been important in the
commerce of West Africa These four types are similar in their chemical
composition and use They contain together with other compounds
large amounts of caffeine and smaller quantities of theobromine kolatin
and glucose All these are stimulants caffeine affects the central nervous
system theobromine activates the skeletal muscles kolatin acts on the
heart and glucose provides energy to the body as whole When
chewed and it appears that kola was not cooked or made into drinks
anywhere in Africa the nuts have an effect similar to that of coffee tea
or cocoa and consequently kola being an excellent refreshment can be
used to relieve hunger thirst and fatigue lending itself well to social
situations It had ready market almost everywhere in West Africa
in the savanna where demand was high in the absence of tea coffee or
other preparations filling such roles and tended to increase with the
spread of Islam and its prohibitions on alcoholic beverages but also in
the forest areas although alcohol was drunk where kola was often asso
ciated with rituals and ceremonies
The kola-producing zone can be divided into two parts one for
nitida and the other for acuminata verticillata and anomala
see Map This division is significant because nitida was by far the
most important variety in terms of trade between forest and savanna
and because its zone of cultivation was geographically separated from
RUSSELL 1955 211 but also see DALZIEL 1948 100-107 The scientific
classification of the varieties of kola was virtually completed with the publication
of CHEVALIER PERROT in 1911 Chevalier was able to establish that number
of different specimens which had previously been classified separately were the
same and he identified all the major varieties His classification of sub-varieties
of nitida species red or white and with two cotyledons) however has been
challenged by Russell and others Nonetheless work was major
breakthrough It built on the earlier work of numerous German French and
English botanists much of which was confusing For examples of earlier work see
ECKHARDT 1887 HERTZ 1880-1881 Cola 1890 and 1906 For survey of the
botanical history see RUSSELL 1955 210-228 Also see MISCHLICH 1930 Another
variety of kola ballayi was found in Gabon and areas further east It was
exported to the savanna north of this region but was not transported to West
Africa and hence is not dealt with here See CHEVALIER PERROT 1911 21-22
139-142 196-198 VANSINA 1973 112 117 KOLA IN THE HISTORY OF WEST AFRICA 100 PAUL LOVEJOY
that of the other varieties There does not appear to be any difference
the techniques of cultivation that would account for this The expla
nation as to why one variety assumed such importance commercially
while the others did not also remains unclear one can only note that
market had to be developed since taste for the nuts is acquired and that
whatever the reasons demand for the other varieties has always remained
small by comparison
Before the last decade of the igth century the production of nitida
was confined to the forests west of the Volta river except for very
limited output Nupe near the confluence of the Niger and Benue
rivers this variety of kola was in particular demand among Muslims
and since areas of production were far away it had to be transported
considerable distances in order to reach the most eastern markets in the
Central Sudan acuminata was the primary variety grown in Yoru-
baland the Igbo country and areas further east some was sold outside
the forest zone but it figured more prominently in local trade.4 verti
cillata also was grown in the forests of Yorubaland and perhaps further
east too some was exported north into the Central Sudan where it was
known to Hausa consumers as hannunruwa it was also used in Borno
although demand there appears to have been far less than for nitida
verticillata was considered slimy and women used it as much for
cosmetic purposes as for its caffeine.5 anomala was grown only in
Bamenda and was exported north at least by the middle of the igth cen
t